1. Technical Field
This invention relates to a method of using weighed records of web-server usage in order to determine each user's bill for services.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Applicants Service Providers (ASPs), Internet Service Providers (ISPs) or other types of Online Service Providers (OSPs), commonly maintain websites or applications for their customers. This service is commonly called web hosting. Each website is associated with a web host. A web host may be a physical web server or a logical entity, referred to as a virtual web host (VWH). A virtual web host associated with a large web site may span multiple physical web servers. Conversely, several virtual web hosts associated with small web sites may share a single physical web server.
An ISP provides access to the Internet for individual users. An ASP on the other hand, may host one or several heterogenous applications and leases out their usage to customers. Typically, an ISP or ASP hosts small businesses and provides the tools and services to operate the business and the operations functions of these small businesses.
In either case, each virtual web host provides the functionality of a single physical web server in a way that is transparent to the client. The web sites hosted on a virtual web host share server resources, such as CPU cycles and memory, but are provided with all of the services of a dedicated web server. A virtual web host has one or more public virtual IP addresses that clients use to access content on the virtual web host. A web host is uniquely identified by its public IP address. When a content or function request is made to the virtual web host's virtual IP address, the virtual IP address is mapped to a private IP address, which points either to a physical server or to a software application or function identified by both a private IP address and a layer port number that is allocated to the function.
When an individual accesses the Internet, they usually do so through a service provider who is in charge of making the connection. In order for that to happen, a certain procedure has to be completed in advance so the service provider has the information needed for making the connection, and deciding a method of payment. Information needed for making the connection includes log-in names, passwords, and so on. The method of payment involves utilizing a credit card, or setting up direct withdrawal from an account with some financial institution such as a bank, with a bill of charges sent by mail, an invoice for services, and so on.
To charge users for accessing the Web, OSPs generally use one of two types of billing methods. Users are charged either by a flat rate or by connection time. The typical type of fee-charging system for providing the services mentioned above is not based on the fee-charging system of the Internet itself, but on the places or facilities which provide the service. Due to the inflexible characteristics of a superficial fee-charging system, such as by calculating elapsed time, it cannot be said that this kind of system is a fair and correct way of fee-charging, as would be, for example, a fee figured from whether or not a person actually used the Internet.
Time-based billing methods such as that described in PCT application number WO 98/19488 ('488) and XACCT usage software, charges the user for the actual time spent logged-on to the web host. The '488 application is directed toward billing for telephone calls during an Internet session. The described method uses the user's IP address to establish an association between the user and a phone call and then generates a bill to the user based upon the call's duration. The XACCT software obtains IP session and transaction information from routers, switches, firewalls, and web hosts. The software uses the information to bill a user based upon the time of usage which, is gathered from the aforementioned sources.
The fee-charging system of the Internet is based on the calculation of a host computer, with a result sent by a terminal server at the time of connecting, and when cutoff or clearing is complete. It cannot calculate the charge until the connection is cut. Therefore, having a predetermined fee (as mentioned above), or a fee base don the time of entering and leaving the place, with no consideration given to the actual connection time, accounts for a big proportion of the charges for the facilities, except for those using the Internet. The above-mentioned system is not an appropriate system of fee charging for those who desire a timely way to use the Internet.
However, in this environment, charging the customers (either individuals or small entities) a flat monthly fee, or a charge based on the amount of time that they are logged onto the web host is not fair, since some customers may use a web host's services more than others. The current method of billing may also results in losses to the web host since some customers may utilize the application much more than the web host expected when the contract was negotiated.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,035,281 ('281) is an attempt to equitably charge users for access to OSPs. The '281 patent billing formula consists of a function that is based upon the time of day that a user is connected, as well as, the amount of bandwidth that is used by the client. However, the billing method is not determined by the type of specific user activity on an OSP or the service provided by an OSP.
Therefore, there is an industry need for service providers to efficiently and equitably charge customers based upon the specific user's activity or OSP service provided.
Accordingly, various objectives of an invention meeting these needs would include all of the following:                1) providing an efficient and equitable method of facilitating an accurate usage model;        2) providing a system and method for billing with minimal overhead on the system that hosts the application; and        3) using weighted file records of web server usage to determine a user's bill.        